Abstract:
The unspoken rules of understanding Hadith are found in the commentaries of Hadith scholars. Majlisi the Elder (may God have mercy on him), in his commentary on Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih, has strived to explain the text of the Hadith using Arabic literature and linguistic rules, and by collecting verbal and contextual clues and presenting similar Hadiths, has identified the serious intent and the primary purpose of the Hadith. Majlisi (may God have mercy on him) also did not overlook the impact of 'tashif' (textual corruption) and 'naql bi al-ma'na' (transmission by meaning) in his Fiqh al-Hadith investigations, and he also paid attention to how general and specific terms used in the Hadith are interpreted. We have categorized these efforts based on our proposed method, a part of the first stage, namely understanding the text, which appears in this issue.
Machine summary:
We will first define Fiqh al-Hadith from an acceptable contemporary perspective and state its position and importance; then, we will enumerate the logical and common progression of understanding Hadith, especially those Hadiths requiring commentary and interpretation, while providing brief explanations of each stage and presenting instances and examples of the activities performed by Mohammad Taqi Majlisi (RA).
The intentional and accidental changes by narrators and the permissibility of reporting the meaning of a Hadith in the form of other words requires that every reader of a Hadith, especially if they intend to explain and act upon it, gains relative certainty regarding the authenticity of the text available to them; Majlisi the Elder recognized this primary need well and addressed it.
We have all heard the Hadith "لا یشکر اللّه من لا یشکر النّاس" and we cite it in many of our daily conversations, and Majlisi (RA) also initially accepts this meaning; however, taking into account other reports and with the help of a manuscript, he presents a different and perhaps more acceptable interpretation and says thus: قد تقدّم الاخبار فی ذمّ ترک شکر المنعمین من الناس، ولیس فی بعض النسخ لفظة «لا» وکانّه من النّساخ ویمکن أنّ المراد به من کان نظره الی الناس فقط؛16 The Hadiths that condemned ingratitude in response to the kindness and benevolence of people were mentioned; however, in some versions, the word "لا" does not exist, and it is possible that this is due to [the error of] scribes, but it is also possible that [the phrase "لایشکر اللّه من یشکر الناس" is correct and] the intention is those who [when expressing gratitude, by neglecting the true Bestower of blessings] only pay attention to people.
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